Shanghai Gang Uses Women to Con Foreigners Into Buying Terrible Overpriced Alcohol

October 20, 2016

A court in China has found a bunch of gangsters guilty of ripping off foreigners by selling hugely overpriced bottom-shelf liquor in their bar.

The unnamed bar, which opened in February on Wuding Road in the Jing’an District of Shanghai, reportedly housed ladies who were employed primarily to get foreign customers into ordering their expensive drinks, according to Shanghai Daily. The shady establishment also offers special “massages” from the female employees.

Once duped, there was no way of getting out without being burned by the con artists. Refusing to pay for the ridiculously priced liquor would result in intimidation and threats from the gang members and occasionally, even confinement within the bar, court documents revealed. The courts also found that when customers get to leave after payment, gangsters would be following them to make sure they wouldn’t call the police.

Within a month, the said bar was able to con eight foreigners out of 44,180 yuan ($6,560) in total. Some of the victims later informed the authorities of the scam, leading to the discovery of the syndicate on March 15. The ten gang members, who were found to be guilty of extortion by the Jing’an People’s Court, were given suspended jail sentences ranging from 12 to 37 months.

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